Microsoft Offers Support for Moving to the Cloud
Today at the annual Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Jon Roskill, Microsoft’s new channel chief, unveiled business strategies and resources to help partners of all types seize new opportunities in the cloud.
Tools for Your Business
Roskill detailed new tools, resources and sales support that Microsoft is delivering to help partners plan and build profitable businesses in the cloud and advance their cloud knowledge, including:
- New Microsoft Cloud Essentials and Microsoft Cloud Accelerate, Business Builder for Cloud Services,
- Cloud Profitability Modeler.
Roskill shared new Microsoft Partner Network sales and marketing resources to help partners attract customers and close deals. Some ey resources to get you started:
- Value of Earning a Microsoft Competency Guide
- 5 for 1 WPC Exam Pass for WPC attendees
- List Your Company on Microsoft Pinpoint
- Microsoft Partner Network Sales Specialist Accreditation
More information on Roskill’s announcements can be found at https://www.microsoftpartnernetwork.com/RedmondView/Permalink/Crossing-the-Chasm-Turning-Cloud-Opportunity-Into-Reality-for-Partners.
Consumer Products Connect to the Cloud
In addition to Roskill’s keynote address, Andy Lees, senior vice president of the Mobile Communications Business, and Brad Brooks, corporate vice president of Windows Consumer Marketing and Product Management, teamed up to show partners how new consumer products and services from Microsoft work across all the screens in consumers’ lives.
Showcasing Windows Phone 7, Windows Live, Windows Phone, Xbox and more, they demonstrated how Microsoft platforms combine the power of immersive software with smart services accessed instantly via the cloud to deliver experiences that make lives easier, more entertaining and more fun.
During the keynote, Lees announced that Windows Phone 7 will be complemented in the cloud by a new Windows Phone Live site. The site will also be home to the new Find My Phone feature that allows people to find and manage a missing phone with map, ring, lock and erase capabilities — all for free. More information can be found at https://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/windowsphone.
Other Announcements
Additional news from the Worldwide Partner Conference today includes the following:
- Microsoft Services Launches Practice Accelerator to Make Training and Offering IP More Accessible to Partners: https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/wpc/docs/ServicesPartnerStrategyFS.docx
- Intuit Partner Platform Delivers Windows Phone 7 SDK: https://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/wpdev
Find Out More
More information about the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference is available on the virtual event site at https://www.digitalwpc.com. You can watch select keynote addresses live or on demand, register to view sessions, and learn more about the news and events coming out of the conference.
On Wednesday, former U.S. President Bill Clinton will share his unique and motivational insights and observations with the audience in a presentation titled “Embracing Our Common Humanity.” Also on Wednesday, Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner will take the stage to outline strategies and opportunities for partners to successfully compete in the cloud.
Bruce D. KyleISV Architect Evangelist | Microsoft Corporation